Conservatives pull witnesses from committee following accusations of intolerance

OTTAWA – The Conservative government pulled two of its own witnesses from an immigration committee today, calling material on the group’s website disgusting and un-Canadian.

The witnesses from the Canadian Immigration Forum had been scheduled to appear although they had not been publicly listed by the committee.

NDP and Liberal MPs immediately balked at their presence, pointing to elements on the group’s website they called shocking.

Sections of the site include one on so-called “Chinafication” and “Arabization,” and a video interview with Canadian white supremacist Paul Fromm.

The Conservatives requested that the committee discuss the issue behind closed doors, and later the witnesses were told their appearance had been cancelled.

Conservative MP Chungsen Leung said he had been told the witnesses were lawyers, and was not aware of their views or of the website content.